A Cure For The Holiday Blues

The holidays can be a wonderful time for family and friends to relax and spend time together. For some, it can also be a time of increased stress and heightened depression. Research suggests those seeking relief from a case of the holiday blues could add exercise into their routine. According to a new review of current research including 35 past trials, moderate exercise provides moderate relief in those with depressive symptoms. Although more studies are required, the current findings suggest that over time, moderate exercise reduces depressive symptoms as much as psychotherapy or antidepressant medications. Researchers state that the frequency and intensity of exercise is important. For instance, walking at a slow pace has no positive effect on depression. So if the holidays are bringing you down or you are just looking for a mood and energy boost, put down the cookies and get exercising!

Tips To Stay Healthy During The Holiday Season

Whether you're scheduled for a long road trip, shopping for a small army of friends and family members, wrapping dozens and dozens of gifts or camping out in the kitchen to get all your cooking complete, major holidays can easily put your body at risk of injury. Prolonged sitting, prolonged standing, extensive walking, awkward positions, overeating and plain old mental exhaustion are all common when the holiday season comes into full swing. Here are a few common sense tips to assist in keeping you healthy and pain-free this holiday season:

Traveling: bring water and small snacks to stay well hydrated and to keep your blood sugar levels stable, wear comfortable shoes and clothing, bring along a small blanket and travel pillow, bring all required travel documents as well as any maps or reservations for rental cars and hotels, be careful and obtain assistance when handling heavy/bulky luggage and gifts - use a push cart or dolly and obtain assistance whenever appropriate and/or possible

Shopping: bring water and small snacks to stay well hydrated and to keep your blood sugar stable, wear comfortable shoes and clothing, have your shopping day pre-planned in regards to locations to visit and gifts to purchase, use shopping carts when available and take gifts to your vehicle frequently rather than risking injury by lugging pounds of gifts from store to store, be careful and obtain assistance when handling heavy/bulky gifts

Cooking: maintain proper posture while at the counter/sink, alternate between sitting and standing positions, take frequent breaks, stretch often, careful when using knives and other sharp objects

Gift Wrapping: maintain proper posture, stretch frequently, be careful not to leave scissors or sharp cutting objects on the floor where they can be accidentally stepped on or where they can be accessed by small children or animals, be careful and obtain assistance when moving or wrapping larger or bulky gifts

Holiday Eats and Treats: do your best to avoid over indulgence of those holiday eats and treats, maintain activity levels to counter act all that holiday feasting, avoid driving when you've consumed those holiday spirits

Treat Your Body To A Holiday Gift: if you find those aches and pains creeping in or just want to be in tiptop shape this holiday season, stop by your chiropractor's office and treat your body to the most valuable gift of all... the gift of health!

Skipping Breakfast May Lead to Essential Nutrient Shortfall

It is commonly held that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but until recently the prevailing argument was simply that breakfast eaters started the day with sounder cognitive function and set themselves up for overall better performance and achievement as the day progressed.

However, a recent study out of Kings College London in the UK suggests that children who skip breakfast on a regular basis are likely missing out on all recommended essential nutrients throughout the day.

In general studies conducted over many years, skipping breakfast has been proven to increase the risk of diabetes, heart disease, reduced memory function, and weight gain. However, only recently have studies of nutrition shown the effects of missing out on micronutrients such as vitamins C, D, E, B-complex and K, folic acid and beta-carotene, and the correlation of obtaining these nutrients beginning with a meal at breakfast.

Iron and Calcium Deficiencies May Be Linked to Skipping BreakfastDetailed statistics of participants in the Kings College study show that more than 30% of children who skip breakfast are low on iron, and more than 20% of the children are deficient in calcium. Comparatively, only 3% of children who eat breakfast regularly were low in iron and or calcium. Not surprisingly, fat intake throughout the day was higher when children did not eat breakfast.

Researchers determined that older children, those aged 11 to 18 years, were more likely than their younger peers (ages 4 -10 years) to skip breakfast. And girls were more likely than boys to begin their day without a meal. But the missing micronutrients in the younger breakfast skippers was greater than in the older group, indicating that the younger you are, the more important it is to eat breakfast so that your body can derive and process nutrition throughout the day.

Even children in the study who ate a nutritionally balanced diet despite not eating breakfast were still found, when tested, to be lacking in essential nutrients, further indicating that breakfast may be key to establishing efficient and balanced dietary intake. The study also indicated that children who did not eat breakfast ended up consuming the same number or fewer total calories as children who ate breakfast every day.